Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
BYRNE FEELS THE HEAT
PSNI chief confronted by rank & file for ‘shaming’ officers
TOP cop Simon Byrne has been challenged by the rank and file for “publicly shaming” two of their colleagues.
The Mirror can reveal they rounded on the Chief Constable for suspending one officer and relocating another after a row at an event to mark the anniversary of the Sean Graham atrocity last week.
One constable said morale was low within the PSNI, adding: “The leadership of this organisation does not care about them one jot.”
NORTHERN Ireland’s under-pressure police chief has been directly challenged by his officers in a no-holds-barred confrontation, the Mirror can reveal.
PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne has been batting tough questions over his decision, before any investigation, to immediately suspend one constable and have another relocated following an incident in South Belfast.
In a meeting with officers of varying ranks, he was accused of “publicly shaming” two of his officers and told that:
■ THE PSNI leadership does not care about the lower ranking officers
■ MORALE is seriously damaged, and
■ HIS actions could only be perceived as an attempt to placate Sinn Fein.
During last week’s incident, a Troubles survivor was arrested by an officer ordered to attend a scene to deal with Covid restrictions adherence.
Mark Sykes had attended a memorial on the Ormeau Road to mark the 29th anniversary of the UDA’S 1992 Sean Graham bookmaker atrocity in which five people were murdered and Mr Sykes himself injured.
Social media footage showed police attended the area and Mr Sykes, 52, was handcuffed.
He was placed in a patrol car and driven to Musgrave Police Station, where he and two officers remained in the car before he was released a short time later.
Sinn Fein members, led by Deputy First Minister Michelle O’neill, claimed a nationalist crisis of confidence in policing after the incident and said: “Unjustified heavy handed tactics have been used towards relatives laying flowers, including the arrest of one of the survivors.”
The Chief Constable held a rare Saturday media briefing and apologised for the situation.
CHALLENGING
But on Monday, Mr Bryne faced the wrath of his own officers, who told him he also faced a crisis of confidence amongst the PSNI rank and file.
He was attending a meeting at 1.30pm on February 8 with a number of colleagues in an online Q&A session entitled Better Kit, Better Workplace, where the attendees were identified by their names.
Mr Byrne addressed the officers and said: “After what has been a very challenging few days for policing, I felt it was more important than ever to hear your views and answer your questions.”
The theme of the session was intended “to focus on the need to balance modernisation against budget cuts in the year ahead”.
But the meeting took off on a very different tangent with the first question by a male officer.
He demanded of the Chief Constable: “Sir, what is your plan for lifting morale amongst the ranks after you publicly shamed two colleagues in what can only be perceived as an attempt to placate Sinn Fein?
“For the rank and file, your public shaming of two colleagues only further strengthens the understanding
among constables particularly, the leadership of this organisation does not care about them one jot.”
Before Mr Byrne got a chance to answer, another officer asked him if he felt he had the confidence of the service.
The second officer said: “There is a considerable degree of anger in police officers who I have spoken with regarding the incident on the Ormeau Road. Do you believe that you have the confidence of your police officers that they will be supported in performing their role?”
Sources in the PSNI say anger is at boiling point within the service. One explained: “This was the first time Simon Byrne had done an internal Q&A with these officers in this format and it didn’t quite go to plan.
“The anger is palpable, not just with the Chief Constable but with other senior officers and they didn’t hold back.
“We have been assured that the officers on the ground were directed to take this action by a senior officer over the radio.
“They apparently questioned it but were told to go ahead.
“If that is accurate and comes out of an investigation, we feel Simon Byrne’s position, in light of him suspending this constable, would be untenable.”
Another PSNI source said: “Simon Byrne does not have the confidence of the men and women of the PSNI.
“He has done little to build it in the couple of years he’s been chief and his reaction to the Ormeau Road incident has cemented the view that he and many of the senior team have little consideration for the officers they send out to do a difficult and dangerous job.
“The two officers involved in this incident have relatively short service and, as would be expected, were working under orders and with advice of a senior officer. They were sent in to do a job, they followed the orders. They might have imagined, in fact expected, to be supported by senior officers. The message they received was, you’re on your own – good luck.” A spokeswoman for the PSNI said: “The Chief Constable takes part in a regular online discussion called Ask The Chief. Each event lasts one hour and is open to all officers and staff on duty, providing them with an opportunity to ask questions and share views.
“Any questions or comments that the Chief Constable has not had time to respond to during the session are answered after the event is over.”
Police say they are unable to comment further due to the ongoing Ombudsman investigation.
The leadership does not care about them one jot MALE OFFICER TO THE CHIEF CONSTABLE
They were sent to do a job.. they followed the orders PSNI SOURCE ON THE ORMEAU ROAD INCIDENT